Cactus
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From: Baator |
 Posted: Monday, 07 May 2007 06:58PM |
I understand that Ferelden is one kingdom in TheDAS. But that doesn't say a whole lot, which leaves me wondering. So I'm going to post a bunch of questions here in the hope that a dev might be willing and able to answer them 
Is it a big kingdom relative to other kingdoms? Does it cover much of a continent? A whole continent? How big is it in the scope of the WORLD? Has most of the world already been explored, or is the "known world" to the people of Ferelden limited? And lastly, will the game take place over a small geographic area, or do you get to travel far and visit locations on different parts of the kingdom?
Just trying to get a sense of how much of the world we'll get to see in DA.
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David Gaider
Lead Writer
Joined: 17 Oct 2001
From: Edmonton, AB |
Posted: Monday, 07 May 2007 07:42PM |
Quote: Posted 05/07/07 18:58 (GMT) by Cactus
Is it a big kingdom relative to other kingdoms?
Relative to other Kingdoms in Thedas? It actually sits in the middle. It's larger than a few, smaller than a few others.
Quote: Does it cover much of a continent?
No.
Quote: How big is it in the scope of the WORLD?
Much smaller than in the scope of the continent.
Quote: Has most of the world already been explored, or is the "known world" to the people of Ferelden limited?
To the people in Thedas, most of the world is unknown.
Quote: And lastly, will the game take place over a small geographic area, or do you get to travel far and visit locations on different parts of the kingdom?
It's not the largest Kingdom, but you do get to travel to various different parts of it.
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Althernai
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From: St. Genis |
Posted: Monday, 07 May 2007 07:54PM |
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Very interesting. And refreshingly direct. Put together, those comments appear to imply that the world of DA is pretty huge (the kingdom is of ~ median size, does not cover much of the continent... but is still much smaller in the scope of the world than in the scope of the continent). |
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Cactus
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From: Baator |
Posted: Monday, 07 May 2007 08:30PM |
Thanks for the answers
I like that the world has unknown lands in it, even when they don't play any role in the game's story. It adds some feel of mystery to the setting itself. I also like travelling in CRPGs.
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"That is not dead which can eternal lie,
And with strange aeons even death may die."
- H.P. Lovecraft: "The Nameless City" |
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Nighteye2
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From: Nether Lands |
Posted: Monday, 07 May 2007 08:40PM |
Quote: Posted 05/07/07 19:42 (GMT) by David Gaider
To the people in Thedas, most of the world is unknown.
Do they believe it to be flat, then?
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Willpower-in-Japan
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From: Nagoya, Japan |
Posted: Tuesday, 08 May 2007 12:22AM |
Quote: Posted 05/07/07 20:40 (GMT) by Nighteye2 Quote: Posted 05/07/07 19:42 (GMT) by David Gaider
To the people in Thedas, most of the world is unknown.
Do they believe it to be flat, then?
That might depend on how much of an influence mages and their ilk have on the education systems, and if they have access to magically derived knowlege of the universe, or if they have studied astronomy at all. The ancient Mayans and Aztecs both, I believe (but could very well be mistaken) had calendars based on maps of the paths of the stars, and I don't remember the details but other fairly advanced knowlege of astronomy. That in iteself could lead them to believe that the world was not flat even if they had yet to circumnavigate their globe. |
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Randalish
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Posted: Tuesday, 08 May 2007 12:38AM |
The ancient greeks knew the world was round already, long before anybody from that part of the world sailed the atlantic. The "flat earth" theory wasn't nearly as prevalent in any period as the popular view implies.
I believe they concluded the world was round by examining the shadow the earth casts on the moon at various times. |
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Willpower-in-Japan
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From: Nagoya, Japan |
Posted: Tuesday, 08 May 2007 12:40AM |
Quote: Posted 05/08/07 00:38 (GMT) by Randalish
I believe they concluded the world was round by examining the shadow the earth casts on the moon at various times.
That just makes too much sense for it to really be true. But then some things are stranger than fiction, eh. |
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Jecra
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From: Netherlands |
Posted: Tuesday, 08 May 2007 12:59AM |
Quote: Posted 05/08/07 00:40 (GMT) by Willpower-in-Japan Quote: Posted 05/08/07 00:38 (GMT) by Randalish
I believe they concluded the world was round by examining the shadow the earth casts on the moon at various times.
That just makes too much sense for it to really be true. But then some things are stranger than fiction, eh.
quoting from wikipedia
Quote: Also, the border of the shadow of Earth on the Moon during the partial phase of a lunar eclipse is always circular, no matter how high the Moon is over the horizon. Only a sphere casts a circular shadow in every direction, whereas a circular disk casts an elliptical shadow in most directions.
which was said by Aristotle
however astronomy was used as proof aswell. Because certain constellations are only visible from a latitude, which means that you are looking at a different angle and so the earth can not be flat, but doesn't have to be spherical). However with the shadow on the moon the earth does have to be spherical.
Besides that atleast for me the prime example that people believed in a flat earth is that Columbus had to convince people that the earth was round. Is in fact not based on historical data. Atleast some of the courts that refused to hire him, did so because they believed his calculations of the earth circumference to be wrong (which it was) and the distance of europe-china to be bigger than he believed it was. |
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the-expatriate
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From: Halifax NS, Canada |
Posted: Tuesday, 08 May 2007 04:33AM |
A very interesting read. I'm even learning real life things!! *shock*
In more on-topic news, I would have to say that I like what I've heard about Ferelden -- it appears from what Mr. Gaider has said, that while no, you won't travel the length and breadth of the world so to speak, or even the continent, it seems that the nation of Ferelden itself doesn't need to be some huge country in order to have plenty of scope in the game.
Basically what I'm saying is that there will be plenty of room for exploring, all in one kingdom, giving it a more realistic feeling as to it's size and the number of places you can travel to in a single nation - while still retaining an almost unimaginable amount of land in other kingdoms possibly for future endeavors into the game setting. And that's not even including unexplored/unknown regions of the world.
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Attalus
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From: Athkatla, with Aribeth |
Posted: Wednesday, 09 May 2007 09:57PM |
Y'all left out the simplest rationale of all: when a ship sail over the horizon, the first thing that disappears is the hull, then lower masts, then topmasts. This can only be explained by the fact that the earth is a spheroid. 
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Nighteye2
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From: Nether Lands |
Posted: Wednesday, 09 May 2007 10:16PM |
Quote: Posted 05/09/07 21:57 (GMT) by Attalus Y'all left out the simplest rationale of all: when a ship sail over the horizon, the first thing that disappears is the hull, then lower masts, then topmasts. This can only be explained by the fact that the earth is a spheroid.
But people already sailed beyond the horizon while they still believed the earth to be flat. Oh, and it can also be explained by the earth by cilindrical, even if they did notice and wonder why ships disappear beyond the horizon like that.
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On life's journey faith is nourishment, virtuous deeds are a shelter, wisdom is the light by day and right mindfulness is the protection by night. If a man lives a pure life, nothing can destroy him.
Buddha |
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showoffsg
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Posted: Wednesday, 09 May 2007 10:50PM |
Quote: Posted 05/08/07 00:40 (GMT) by Willpower-in-Japan
That just makes too much sense for it to really be true. But then some things are stranger than fiction, eh.
I'm a firm believer that your average 9th grade math student could work out all these things with extreme ease if we didn't crush their imagination in grade 8.
(its likely that your average Ferelden citizen won't know how they know the earth is round, they were just told that by their mother.)Edited By showoffsg on 05/09/07 22:53 |
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showoffsg
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Posted: Wednesday, 09 May 2007 10:52PM |
Quote: Posted 05/09/07 21:57 (GMT) by Attalus Y'all left out the simplest rationale of all: when a ship sail over the horizon, the first thing that disappears is the hull, then lower masts, then topmasts. This can only be explained by the fact that the earth is a spheroid.
that just proves that it curves, not that it's a sphere. |
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Jecra
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From: Netherlands |
Posted: Wednesday, 09 May 2007 11:01PM |
Quote: Posted 05/09/07 22:52 (GMT) by showoffsg Quote: Posted 05/09/07 21:57 (GMT) by Attalus Y'all left out the simplest rationale of all: when a ship sail over the horizon, the first thing that disappears is the hull, then lower masts, then topmasts. This can only be explained by the fact that the earth is a spheroid.
that just proves that it curves, not that it's a sphere.
yep, but it curves the same way in every direction(which also means it can not be cilindrical). Granted at that time they could only check that for a small area of the earth. But that seems to imply to me that it has to be spherical. |
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